For all those college students out there...

How many of you get federal help? (In the USA, it comes in the form of a Pell Grant and/or Stafford Loan.)
Do you pay for your textbooks in cash or via the "free" money?
How much have you paid for your textbooks using either method?
Was it worth it... would you do it differently?

So, I am starting college soon... and I figured that it'd be nice to see a debate between the cost of campus-sold supplies versus off-campus sold supplies. (And maybe learn a thing or two in the process.) College for me starts on August 21st - and I am sorely tempted to sell my laptop and buy a new one using the grant money so I can pay for the books with cash due to what I'm seeing about campus prices being so inflated.

So insight from the college students here?

How many of you get federal help? (In the USA, it comes in the form of a Pell Grant and/or Stafford Loan.)

I get a Stafford Loan. Most of it is unsubsidized, but I do get a little bit of subsidized loans.

Do you pay for your textbooks in cash or via the "free" money?

I pay for my textbooks in cash because tuition is so expensive that my entire loan is being eaten up by that. Usually I go through a website like Amazon, Ebay, or Chegg to get the books since they can be much cheaper than on-campus bookstores. Chegg, I know, pays pretty well to sell the books back to them, and renting from Chegg is one of the cheapest routes you can take.

How much have you paid for your textbooks using either method?

I've paid anywhere from $200 for a textbook at the University store to $20 renting from Chegg.

Was it worth it... would you do it differently?

Yeah, I would have rented/bought online more and sold them quicker than I chose to do, where the money is better. I also would have actually applied and earned some scholarships as opposed to just winging it, because that money would have really helped.

pray75 :

You have no idea how much that response helped me out... I've never even HEARD of Chegg, much less known about the difference between bookstore costs and online costs. x.x

How many of you get federal help? (In the USA, it comes in the form of a Pell Grant and/or Stafford Loan.)

We don't have something like that here.

Do you pay for your textbooks in cash or via the "free" money?

Either through cash or credit card. I'm not sure what free money is...

How much have you paid for your textbooks using either method?

Hmm... it depends on the cost of books on a certain time, but it's usually around 200 USD all in all per sem.

Was it worth it... would you do it differently?

It's a bit costly, but it's worth it. I could save more money if I buy somewhere outside the university, but buying in the univ publication house ensures you that they won't ever be out of stock unlike the book stores outside; they usually have your needed books out of stock since many students (even from other campuses)are also looking for that book. I just don't wanna deal with the trouble... I could also buy 2nd hand books, but same as buying from a book store outside, it causes lots of troubles and it's time consuming. Bidding, meeting, ensuring of books' conditions.... when you could just list all the books you need, bring the money or credit card and buy in bulk when you go in the publication house.

Ktanaqui :
I have gotten a bit of help, but not enough to pitch-in for books, so that's always in cash. Some classes actually get special discounts and give you cheap books through the school. Other than that, it's true 99% of the time that the school is overcharging. Amazon is where I get most of my books now. Free 2 day shipping for students if you haven't used that already. 
Some schools/sites also offer rentals if you don't plan on using the book again after that year. Rental is usually half the price of a new book, so it ends up being much cheaper. 
My expenses have ranged from $40 for a volume of the Calc book to over $250 for a Mechanics book (wasn't available used or any cheaper on any other site). Depends on the class and if you can live with just getting the e-book (which usually expires after a year). Always check out the first few days/week of classes to make sure you will actually NEED the text (lost a lot of money my first semester) and know whether or not you will want to use it again after that class. For me, all of my classes are prereqs for the others, so I tend to just find the best new or used deal on Amazon and keep them.

Ktanaqui : Definitely! It's crazy how different things can cost, but that's part of the college really ripping you off, in a way. I mean, yes, they have to make a profit, but the amount they charge is stupid ridiculous. You're from Alabama, so do you mind if ask you where you plan on going to college?

How many of you get federal help? (In the USA, it comes in the form of a Pell Grant and/or Stafford Loan.)
Most of what pays for my schooling is fed aid-- you name it, I probably got it. I'm going to regret it later, but I have no other way to pay for college. 

Do you pay for your textbooks in cash or via the "free" money?
My tuition, housing and meal plan is about 16k a year-- there's no money left over to use on textbooks. I don't even know how to do that O_o But I've paid for my own books, had them given as gifts, and to start me off, someone gave me $125 to cover my first semester. The first time I bought books, I went through the used bookstore right off campus. Second time was all through Abe Books, but for what I had to buy on campus (writing and communications classes with special manuals). For the fall, went through Amazon and Abe Books for my text books. 

How much have you paid for your textbooks using either method?
I've paid anywhere from $125-$250 for my textbooks. First semester was around $175, second semester was about $150 or so-- I got off easily, but this upcoming semester killed me when I had to buy one of the text books brand new (and it's an Economics book too, which are expensive.)

Was it worth it... would you do it differently?
So far, it's been alright. If I had a choice, I would have gone digital when I didn't. That, and I wouldn't keep books-- when writing papers for International Relations (or Studies-- we call it International Studies), it's a lifesaver keeping the textbooks to source. So far, I've kept two out of three, and am already in love with my Intercultural Communications book for the fall (and surely my Arabic book if I can get the smell of men's cologne out of it.)

That, and resell value is terrible. Paid $75 for a Journalism text book to get $20 back for it in the winter. I was slightly annoyed with that.

danielbelitch :

I am hoping that none of my books cost nearly that much. $100/apiece, I can do... can't do much more than that. Hopefully, I can locate some - gonna try calling my professors and seeing if they are willing to tell me which books we need ahead of time so that I may go search for them.

pray75 :

Yes, they charge an ungodly amount. I am hoping, sorely, that none of mine or Ben's wind up costing that much. As it is, I'm worried about having to ask for help to pay for them. x.x I will be attending Gadsden State Community College, Ayers Campus. I knew there was no way I could attend a four year right now... and I figured for the first two years, basics at a community college would suffice. Tuition was only $1690 - much better than the projected $13,000 from the Universities. I barely have enough to cover the costs now, much less later.

cnsulli :

Well, at least with the Pell Grant, it's truly free money that you don't have to pay back... as long as you stick to their guidelines. I don't think I'm going to even really stress the buy back programs. I mean, I will - but I'm already well aware of the crappy buyback.